Dancing On The HighWire
by Shadows Of Kaos
Summary: Hotaru runs away from the scouts and into the warm arms of a lonely Circus Performer. She takes on the job of the high wire act. If she falls, she risks falling in love and getting attached to man who doesn’t want it. Can she make him want to catch her?
1. Default Chapter

Dancing on the High wire  
  
  
  
Chapter I: The Runaway  
  
Hotaru watched as her "family" laughed at something one or another said. They didn't seem to be paying much attention to anything but what they were talking about. Setsuna sipped at her tea and said something else in a whisper.  
  
"Hotaru's asleep by now so it's okay to be a bit louder." Haruka asked. She glanced at the door where Hotaru hid.  
  
"We should still be quiet. I don't want our baby to wake up and be cranky." Michiru said looking down into her tea. "You know how temperamental she can be when she's woken up. Just the other day she didn't speak to me because she got woken up for lunch."  
  
"Hai." Setsuna nodded, "The girl is so fragile that she seems she'll break if doesn't get the sleep and nourishment she needs. We have to be careful with her."  
  
'Why don't you just feed me out of a bottle.' Hotaru thought. She glared at them.  
  
"I think, as of late, you've gotten to harsh with your training for her Haruka." Setsuna continued.  
  
"Hotaru says I'm not hard enough." Haruka grumbled.  
  
"But Hotaru's a child, she doesn't know how much she can handle." Michiru sighed, "We must teach her to know, that's our job. And if it means not letting her have her way, well......."  
  
Hotaru's fingers dug so hard into her skin little drops of blood started to run down from her hand. She stood in the crack of the open door glaring daggers at her so-called parents. She was doing her hardest not to march into the living room and scream bloody murder at them.  
  
'They treat me like I'm five, like I'm a baby. I don't want that. I want to grow up. I'm eighteen years old and legally they should have no control over me. But they keep me bound in a cradle like a newborn babe. I hate it!'  
  
The girl whipped away from the door and hurried to her bedside table. Her hair swung wildly as she thrust open the door, quietly, and removed the items within; her henshin, some saved up money, and various other things.  
  
Next she went to the dresser and took out three pairs of clothes. In the bathroom she grabbed her toiletries and a few other things, all of this she threw into a backpack along with the clothes and items from her draws.  
  
Taking a hair band she tied her ebony hair into a braid. It reached to her waist with small tendrils falling out in wisps. Dressed only in her pj's scribbled a note at her desk.  
  
Dear Outers,  
  
You've been wonderful parents to me for the last seven years. But now I've no need for parents, I've need for a life. You treat me as if I'm baby. I'm not! I'm going to be an adult soon and I don't need your help any longer. It's been annoying me for way to long and it ends tonight. So with to my deepest pleasure, I'm running away. I'll miss you all and I do love you. I just don't want to grow up now.  
  
So adieu, Hotaru  
  
Hotaru sighed and took the notebook out of the dresser and a few pens. She placed these in her bag and left the note on he bed. With a sad smile she hurried to the open window. "Tonight the babying ends. Tonight I get out of here. Goodbye old life, hello to the new." With that she leaped from the window and onto the floor below. Like a cat she landed on her feet and just as silently. Taking a tentive step she slid past the window and started to run. 


	2. Beautiful Stranger

Hotaru stared at the bus schedule in front of her. The bus didn't leave for another ten minutes. That wasn't too bad, but the fact that excitement of running away had warn off about an hour before left her drained and a bit depressed. Her eyes looked at the paper, but didn't focus on the paper.  
  
Now after being away for about five hours she was almost regretting it. She should have planned it better.. Here she was, nowhere to go, and not sure what to do with the rest of her life. What was she good at? Gymnastics, a bit of martial arts, writing, drawing. where was that going to get her? The circus?  
  
She laughed lightly at herself and turned away from the bus schedule. She'd plan the rest of her life on the bus ride.. That sounded pathetic. with a small smiled sigh she walked over and sat down on the cement bench.  
  
People moved by, but they didn't leave a lasting imprint on her memory, they were just faceless bodies that lived and breathed, but not in the jaded world she knew. The shadows just moved on and didn't even glance her way. She was just as much of a shadow in her world as they were in hers. it was disheartening.  
  
And then, as the bus slowly pulled into the station she caught a glance of a shining light in the now darkened world. He stood there, with his ice green eyes staring at nothing. He was amazing. As she slowly stood up and started toward the bus, she knew that the image of the man would stay with her forever.  
  
Slowly as she sat down and the bus pulled away, the man's eyes met hers. And for a moment she knew him. The bus moved and yet she and he didn't break contact. Slowly the bus turned a corner, and he was no longer there, but she felt his eyes still watching her, and she knew he felt her too.  
  
**************************************************************************  
  
"Last stop lady." Hotaru opened her sleep filled eyes to look up at the driver. "You getting off cause after this I'm gonna back to where I picked you up."  
  
"Ya I'm getting off." Hotaru sighed and sat up. Slowly she gathered her things, walked to the front of the empty bus and got off. She stared at her surroundings as the bus pulled away and she was once again alone.  
  
Where was she? She'd fallen asleep after drawing her green eyed man and dreamed about him riding to save her on a beautiful white horse. Her eyes still filled with dreams she started to walk.  
  
She was there; her eyes focused again and she looked up at where her feet had taken her. An airport? Now what. Deciding to live free, she walked into the airport and up to the desk. "When's your next flight?" Her soft voice asked.  
  
"To where, dear?" The lady behind the counter asked.  
  
"Where's the soonest flight going?"  
  
"Paris, France." Hotaru blinked, she was in New York, New York. That would be a long flight. Since leaving the other scouts behind, the outers had moved around a lot: first to China, then to England, then back to Japan, and finally to America. Now she had to make another big decision. And like before, she was just going to go with her gut.  
  
"Here." Hotaru handed the woman her passport and credit card. "One ticket please." The woman raised her brow but went to work on her computer and soon had handed Hotaru back a ticket, her passport, and her credit card. Hotaru gave a small thanks to the woman and walked away.  
  
She had twenty minutes until the flight left, which meant she had to hustle to the gate. The check clerk was quick, and her having no bags to check gave her an extra bit of time. Her eyes twinkled as she reached the gate just as her row was being called. Perfect.. The line wasn't too long, just five or six people. She stepped into the path quickly, her purse and bag still hanging at her waist.  
  
Her ticket was taken, stamped and she passed into the dock. The cool air hit her with a new sort of refreshing chill. She was excited again! A smile took her lips as she took her first step onto the plane. The clerks smiled a big fake grin.  
  
Her seat was in the back, a window seat. that made her happy. She liked looking at the clouds. But since it was about nine o'clock at night she probably wouldn't see any. With a sigh she tucked her bag under her seat and decided to sleep through the flight.  
  
As she slowly drifted into dreamland again, her mind traveled back to her green-eyed angel. Yes, he must have been an angel. And she'd only see him in her dreams...  
  
**************************************************************************** *****  
  
Someone had hit her. Hotaru once again woke up to an unpleasant sight. People were standing up and pushing each other to get off the plane. But then again, she'd slept through the whole flight and now felt rested, that was a bonus.  
  
A yawn ripped from her lips as she stood up. Okay, she only partly stood because the ceiling made it impossible for anyone but a five year old to stand at full height. Her neck cracked making the petite girl wince. Thinking that she'd have to wait a bit before getting off, she sat back down and started to stretch her arms and work out all of the kinks she gotten while sleeping in an awkward position.  
  
Soon though, the plane had emptied out, but for a few people, and she was able to get into the isle with her bags and get off the plane. Here she was now, faced with the same problem of 'what to do next'.  
  
Her eyes scanned the crowd and seeing nothing pleasing, she decided she wanted to go out into the city. Checkout was a breeze; all she had to do was walk out of the terminal and through the sliding doors.  
  
The fresh air felt wonderful! Hotaru smiled again as she stepped into the sunlight. Today, she thought, today I will find myself! "I'm here." She murmured to herself, and started to walk away. 


End file.
